Something to Celebrate
by XtremeGal87
Summary: Yusei x Aki fluff! Duel Academia is throwing a dance for its top students, but with one little catch: everyone must bring a date.
1. The Invitation

_**A/N:**_ Hello everyone!! My plan for this story is for it to be a fluff-filled little two-shot; I'm hoping for minimum drama, and probably (I'm sorry if this disappoints you), no citrus…but that doesn't mean it'll be bad! I'm hoping it'll be nice and sweet! So if that sounds good to you, please read on!!

**Pairing(s):** Yusei x Aki

**Disclaimer:** I own absolutely nothing related to YGO 5D's. If I did, the dub wouldn't have gone to 4Kids….

**Something to Celebrate**

**Chapter 1: The Invitation**

**Aki Izayoi** stared at the harmless piece of paper in her hand. It was an invitation to her school's annual dance.

She'd barely had time to wrap her mind around the fact that they'd actually invited her, when she read the invitation and realized that she wouldn't be able to go.

"What do you have there?" Senator Hideo Izayoi called curiously as he approached his daughter.

Aki blinked and looked up; she'd forgotten already that he'd stopped by her apartment for a short visit. "Oh, it's…nothing," she finally said.

"Are you sure?" he asked, casually snatching the paper from her loose hold and reading it quickly. A smile twinkled in his eyes and he looked back at his daughter. "Aki, this isn't nothing, it's great! The school's acknowledged your dueling excellence, and they're going to reward you at the Celebratory Ball." He paused when she sighed and looked away silently. "What's wrong? Why aren't you excited about this?"

"I'm flattered," Aki said honestly, "it's nice to know they're not ignoring me. But what's the point in getting all excited? I can't go."

Her father frowned in confusion and read the paper again, slightly slower. At length, he said, "I don't see the problem, sweetheart. Are you busy that night?"

"No," Aki replied.

"Then what is it?"

Aki sighed and looked at the paper pointedly. "They're _**requiring**_ us to bring someone."

"Of course; that way everyone has someone to dance with," her father replied calmly. "That's what people do at a dance."

"I know that," Aki said, turning and walking towards her couch as she talked. "But I don't _**have**_ a date to bring. So I can't go."

The Senator followed his daughter into the living room of her apartment, pursing his lips together thoughtfully. "But, Aki…can't you ask Yusei to go? You _**are**_ allowed to bring someone who's not currently enrolled in the school."

Aki's face flushed at her father's obvious suggestion and she refused to meet his gaze. "I know that, Papa, but I can't ask him. He's busy."

Smiling now, Hideo settled lightly beside her on the sofa and dropped a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure he's not busy at eight o'clock at night. Not with anything he can't put off until morning."

"He's still working on plans for the new D-Wheels for the Grand Prix," Aki replied quickly. "When he's not defending his title, that's what he's doing. I can't ask him to take time away from that for a _**party**_."

"No one works all the time, Aki," Hideo argued easily. "Maybe he'd enjoy the change of routine."

"When he wants a break, he usually goes to visit Martha, or the twins," Aki said. "I don't think dancing is on his list of things to do."

"Well, you never know unless you ask," Hideo pointed out, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "What have you got to lose by asking?"

"Why are you pushing this so much?" Aki asked, ignoring his question. When she looked up, into her father's steady gaze, he smiled warmly.

"Because I know you like him," he replied calmly. "And this is your perfect opportunity to go for it. He's a good man; he'd treat you right, I'm sure."

Her face flamed again as her eyes went wide. "Dad!" she cried before she could stop herself. Then, more calmly, she added, "It doesn't matter whether or not I like him. We're friends, and that's how we're staying. I couldn't possibly spend three hours dancing with him without blurting out something stupid. _**That's**_ why I won't ask him."

"What makes you so sure he doesn't like you, too?"

Aki looked away and whispered, "I can't take that risk." _Besides, he's smarter than that._ "He won't see me as more than a friend, and that's fine. That's more than I could ever ask anyway. Can we change the subject please?"

Holding his hands up defensively, Hideo said, "Ok, ok, if that's what you want. Still, I'm sure you could find _**someone**_ to go with."

"I don't want to go with someone else," Aki replied, snatching the paper out of his hand. "How's Mom?"

* * *

**"So, what'd** he want?" Crow asked curiously when Yusei hung up the phone.

Yusei half-smirked, amused at his friend's predictable nosiness, and said, "Apparently the school's having their annual Celebratory Ball in a couple of weeks, and they want me to make a guest appearance."

"And what, exactly, are they celebrating?"

"They're honoring their best students," Yusei replied with a slight shrug, reaching again for his tools.

He could hear the smirk in Crow's voice when Crow said, "So then Aki will be there."

Pausing mid-reach, Yusei replied, "Yeah, I'd imagine she will."

"And if it's a _**ball**_, then I imagine there's dancing involved; and it's probably fancy, am I right?" Crow pushed with an ever-growing grin.

"Probably there will be dancing," Yusei said, keeping his voice even. "And yeah, it's fancy. I'm gonna have to get a suit."

"So you're definitely going, then?" Crow asked with faux-curiosity.

"Why not?" Yusei replied. "It's not like I'll be particularly busy that night, and I could use the break from staring at the plans all day."

"And it helps that Aki'll be there, all dressed up and everything," Crow teased.

"You know, not every decision I make is based on where Aki is going to be, or what she'll be wearing," Yusei pointed out.

"Oh, sure," Crow allowed easily, "but some are." When Yusei lifted a challenging eyebrow, he continued. "Like two weeks ago, Carly was putting together that beach party, and you said you didn't really care for the beach. Then Aki made noise about being there, and you magically decide to give it a try."

Yusei stubbornly fought down the heat that surged to his face, and he put his back to his friend to kneel beside his D-Wheel. "I'd already been reconsidering going," Yusei argued valiantly. They both knew it was a total lie, but he'd never admit it aloud.

Crow rolled his eyes. "_**Right**_, of course; how could I forget that part?" Calmly, he walked around to the opposite side of Yusei's D-Wheel, and leaned casually against it so that he could see his friend's face. "So then you're telling me that the fact that Aki will be at this ball, probably in a pretty dress and needing someone to dance with, has nothing to do with your decision to go? I mean, you did catch the part where they said you'll probably have to _**dance**_, right?"

"I did catch that part," Yusei replied. "And it won't kill me."

"Nah, 'course not," Crow agreed. Smirking, he said, "But it might kill you to think about her dancing with, say, some hotshot jock, right?"

Yusei felt his jaw tense and, without looking up, he said, "Knock it off, Crow."

Crow gave a bark of laughter and stood upright fluidly. "Thought so. Alright, well, I've got things to do today; have fun, Twinkle Toes." And with that, Crow vanished into the apartment, before Yusei could throw anything at him.

* * *

_**What the**__ hell am I doing again?_ Yusei thought as he killed the engine and looked up at Aki's apartment two days later. He took a deep breath and lifted the helmet off of his head. He knew she was home; it was entirely possible that she'd at least heard him pull up. With that in mind, he flipped his leg over the side of the D-Wheel and set down the helmet as he stood. _It's too late to back out now._ With a final mental curse at his so-called friends, he approached the door and lifted his fist to knock.

Aki pulled the door open and smiled when she saw him. Despite himself, the smile warmed him to the soul, and he smiled back.

"Hey, do you have a minute?" he asked easily.

"Of course," Aki replied, stepping aside so that he could enter. He walked in silently and she shut the door before leading him down the short hall to the living room as she asked, "So what's up? Is everything ok?"

Yusei inclined his head slightly. "Yeah, everything's fine. I just wanted to talk to you about something."

Her curiosity piqued, Aki half-turned and lifted an eyebrow as she claimed a seat on the couch. "Oh?"

Yusei calmly settled himself into the armchair that he usually claimed when he visited, which was angled to face the couch, and said, "Are you planning on going to the Celebratory Ball?"

Aki's eyes went wide at the unexpected question, and despite herself, her cheeks burned softly. "Um, well…I'm not really sure. Did the twins tell you about it?"

"Actually, no; I've been invited as a guest," Yusei replied. Frowning slightly, he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees as he asked, "Why wouldn't you go? You're at the top of the school, aren't you?"

"I am," Aki admitted. She was unable to hold his gaze as she added, "But they're requiring everyone to go with someone; I just don't have anyone to go with."

"Sure you do," Yusei replied easily. "That's actually why I came over. I was thinking maybe we could go together…see, they want me to bring someone, too." Aki's head snapped up, her eyes wide as she stared at him, silently processing his words. Before she could comment, Yusei's lips curved up in a gentle smile and he added, "And…I'd like to go with you."

"You…would?"

The surprise and disbelief in her soft statement tore through him, and instead of replying with words, or a nod of his head, Yusei found himself rising from the chair and crossing the small living room until he'd reached her. Then he dropped down to one knee beside her and reached out, wrapping both of his gloved hands around her left.

She was watching him in silence, a myriad of emotions flickering around in her amber eyes as she tried to read him.

Holding her gaze, and her hand, firmly, Yusei said, "Aki, will you be my date to the Celebratory Ball?"

Aki felt the liquid burning sensation build up behind her eyes, but she fought it down, reminding herself that it was just one dance; just one step. But she allowed herself to smile, and nodded, saying, "I would be honored."

Yusei saw the tears gather in her amber eyes for a long moment, before she blinked them away, and though her response brought a smile back to his face, he knew he wasn't done. So he gave her hand a squeeze, indicating that there was more to come, and he said, "Now that we've got that out of the way, I have one more question."

Curiosity rose to join the gathered emotions in her eyes, and Aki asked, "And what's that?"

He paused long enough to make sure his voice would be stable, taking in a breath before answering her. "Can I take you to dinner?"

"Of course you-" Aki cut herself off as her eyes once again went wide for a second, the true meaning of his question clearly sinking in. Her voice was soft when she spoke again. "You…you mean like a _**date**_?"

Inclining his head deliberately, Yusei replied, "Mhm."

The tears returned in force, and this time one slipped past her restraint, as she smiled, nodded, and breathed, "Yes…of course."

Yusei stood in one fluid motion, still holding her hand firmly in his, and pulled Aki easily to her feet. Another gentle tug and he released her hand to properly wrap his arms around her waist and hold her close.

Aki fell willingly into the embrace, bringing her arms around his torso and resting her head on his strong shoulder. She let her eyes drift shut and inhaled deeply, hoping that the memory of that moment would stay with her, in every vivid detail.

Neither spoke for several long seconds as they held each other. Yusei leaned his head forward slightly, letting his eyes drift shut as well, and rested his cheek against her temple gently.

* * *

**The moment** was interrupted when something in Yusei's inside jacket pocket began buzzing, startling them both. Aki took a single step backwards, loosening her hold on him as he loosened his on her and reached into his jacket with one hand. He murmured an apology as he extracted his cell phone and flipped it open. He kept his other hand resting lightly on her hip.

When he put the phone to his ear, Aki pursed her lips for a second in thought, before stepping back up to him and resting her head once more on his shoulder silently while he talked. He reflexively cast a glance down at her as he listened to the person on the other end, and then he re-secured his free arm around her.

She looked up at him when the call was over, and he dropped the phone into the nearest pocket before wrapping her in a quick, tight hug.

"You have things to do?" she asked rhetorically as he released her, and she let her arms fall back to her sides.

He nodded. "Yeah, I have a duel," he said.

A teasing smile curved Aki's lips and she said, "Did you lose track of time, Mr. Fudo?"

Yusei smirked. "As a matter of fact, I did." He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers as he whispered, "And I wouldn't change a second of it."

Aki blushed but didn't look away as she reached up and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck, dancing her fingers through his hair. "It's my turn to ask you a question," she began as his hands landed on her hips once again.

"Ask away," he replied easily.

"Would you mind if I came?"

Yusei lifted a curious eyebrow. "You want to watch my duel?"

"I like watching you duel," Aki replied honestly.

The smirk curved his lips again and Yusei said, "I would never dream of stopping you."

* * *

**"V.I.P. treatment**, huh?" Aki joked as she and Yusei arrived in the Director's tower high above the Kaiba Dome.

"Of course," Yusei replied as Jeager looked over at them and smiled.

"Good afternoon," he called in greeting. Lifting an eyebrow at Yusei, he added, "Shouldn't you be downstairs preparing?"

"I'll be fine," Yusei promised.

"But you should be getting ready," Aki reminded, "I think I can make it to the couch from here."

Yusei nodded, acknowledging their point. "Alright, then; I'll see you when I'm done."

"Good luck, Yusei," Jeager said sincerely, "I hear your opponent's fairly good."

Yusei grinned. "I'm not too worried."

"Still, just in case," Aki began, quickly leaning up and pressing her lips to his cheek. She wasn't yet brave enough to assume more than that. When she pulled back, she added, "Good luck."

Yusei stared at her for a long second, having been caught off-guard by the kiss, but then his grin returned and he nodded. "I won't be losing this one." Then he turned and let himself out of the room.

* * *

**"Why do** I get the feeling like I missed something?" Jeager asked as soon as Aki had settled herself on the couch that overlooked the Kaiba Dome.

Aki felt her cheeks flush again, and she said, "We've talked."

"And?" he pushed.

"And he's taking me to dinner tomorrow night," Aki replied. "And we're going to the Celebratory Ball together, too."

Jeager smirked, crossed his arms behind his back, turned to face the track below as the D-Wheels were moving into position, and said, "Good. It's about time."

* * *

**"Thanks for** dinner," Aki said softly as she and Yusei ascended the steps leading to her front door.

"Thank _**you**_ for the company," Yusei replied, capturing her right hand in his left and giving it a gentle squeeze, even as he looked into her eyes.

Aki smiled, not sure what she should say, so she kept silent.

Yusei paused, and then silently released her hand to pull the glove from his right hand. Tucking the glove into a pocket with his left hand, he reached up with his now-ungloved hand and gently brushed his knuckles across her cheek.

Aki sucked in a breath at the contact, her skin feeling as though it were on fire beneath his touch. Slowly he curled his fingers around her cheek, cupping the side of her face tenderly.

And then he leaned in carefully, his other hand landing on her hip. But Aki barely registered the gesture as his lips descended over hers. Fire ignited within her, and she felt her knees begin to buckle as she returned the kiss. Her arms reached up, her fingers dancing over his shoulders to bury themselves in his thick, dark hair.

His hand brushed through her hair lightly, trailing down her back until both of his arms were wrapped strongly around her, holding her tight as he deepened the kiss.

She moaned softly against his lips as he sucked on her lower lip lightly. Her lips parted immediately and their tongues were soon dancing together, before moving on to explore the new territory before them.

They parted when their lungs began burning, reminding them of their need for oxygen. Both breathing heavily, Yusei smiled at her as he held her for another long second.

When they'd both recovered their breath, Aki reluctantly pulled back, and smiled up at him. "I should really go inside; I have school in the morning."

Yusei nodded in understanding, and said, "I know. I guess I'll see you Thursday, then."

Aki sighed. "Yeah; Thursday. Good night, Yusei."

Giving her a soft smile and brushing the tips of his fingers across her jaw briefly, Yusei replied, "Good night, Aki; sleep well."

_**To Be Concluded…**_

_**A/N:**_ Ok, so, that's the first half of this fluff-filled little Faithshipping story! And, before I forget, I want to mention, in regards to Jeager's little scene: I have not been able to keep up with the Japanese version, and the dub version is progressing…well, let's say _**very**_ slowly. Because of this, I don't know who the new Director is, so I just figured Jeager made at least a little sense, and I rolled with it. Please forgive me if this bothered you!! That said, I hope you've enjoyed it so far, and please review! And, of course, don't forget to read the second half!!


	2. First Dance

_**A/N:**_ Hello again! This is, as promised, the second half of my fluff-story! Hopefully it won't disappoint!

**Disclaimer:** I still own nothing related to YGO 5D's, and it is very sad.

**Something to Celebrate**

**Chapter 2: First Dance**

**The weeks** before the Celebratory Ball had rolled by in a blur, and Yusei found himself staring in the mirror, engaged in an age-old struggle. _Damn,_ he thought as his frown increased, _how am I supposed to do this?_

Sharp knocking dragged his attention out of his thoughts, and he let his hands drop as he glanced to the closed bathroom door. "Yeah?" he called.

"Are you almost done in there?" Crow called back. "Your car's here."

"It's time already?" Yusei asked rhetorically, taking a deep breath to fight back his frustration.

Crow's amused laughter answered him. "Wow, I haven't seen you flustered in…ever; maybe I should grab a camera."

"Shut up," Yusei retaliated as he pulled the bathroom door open. "Where's Jack?"

Crow's eyes danced as he tried valiantly to contain his laughter at the sight of his friend. Yusei was dressed in his new, sleek, black suit; his crisp white button-up shirt tucked in beneath the coat. But the black bowtie that he'd purchased with the suit was hanging loose around his neck.

"Living room," Crow choked out, before turning and sucking in sharp breaths to try and suppress his amusement.

Yusei nodded and headed down the hall, where his friend and life-long rival was, indeed, sitting on the couch, flipping through a magazine. "Jack," he said in frustration, "I need your help."

The blonde raised his head at the unusual statement, lifting an eyebrow. When he took in his friend's appearance, a teasing smirk curled onto his face. "Clearly," he replied, setting down the magazine and standing.

Jack calmly walked around the couch to stand before the shorter man. "Pay attention, Yusei," he said as he lifted the material, "because I won't help you with this again." Then he swiftly tied the bowtie, centered it, and stepped back. "There."

Crow entered the room and examined his friend, lifting an eyebrow as he took in Yusei's appearance.

"What?" Yusei asked at the reaction.

Crow hesitated briefly. At length, he said, "Dude, don't get me wrong, but…you should lose the bowtie."

"Why?" Yusei asked, reflexively glancing down at the offending garment.

"Crow's right," Jack admitted, "you look ridiculous."

Yusei shrugged and reached up. One swift tug undid his ten minutes of frustration, and Jack's 'hard work.' Tossing it over the back of the couch, Yusei said, "Alright; I'm off. You two have fun."

Crow grinned as Yusei reached for the door. "I was just gonna give you the same advice."

Yusei ignored him and stepped outside, heading quickly towards the waiting limo.

* * *

**Yusei smiled** when he saw her, but he said nothing until she'd locked her door and they were headed toward the car. She was wearing a crimson dress that sparkled in the moonlight as she moved. The collar was a loose V, dipping down enough to show a teasing amount of cleavage; the sleeves looped loosely around her upper arms, not quite over her shoulders. It was a full-length dress, which actually surprised him, but it did have a slit on the left side that ran up to her mid-thigh.

Her hair, he noticed happily, was pinned up almost in its usual style, but she'd forgone her usual hair ornament in favor of some more fancy. It was an improvement he intended to praise; just as soon as he got over the suddenly burning need to kiss her.

Then she turned from her door and smiled at him, slipping her arm through his and letting him lead her to the limo. As they walked, Yusei found his voice once again.

"You look beautiful," he whispered softly.

"Thank you," she said after a second, before adding, "you clean up pretty well yourself, you know."

Yusei chuckled as they climbed into the backseat of the limo.

* * *

**The room** was crowded, filled with students of all ages and their assorted guests; not to mention chaperones and faculty. They were pushing their way through the crowd, in search of an available table, when Yusei spotted some other familiar faces, looking small against the large circular table they had claimed.

Lacing his fingers through Aki's, he looked over at her and said, "I think I found one, if you don't mind a little company."

Aki grinned. "Yeah, I guess that's ok; as long as they're young. I don't want to have to worry about competition."

Guiding her through the assorted groups of people, Yusei replied, "I can assure you, you have _**no**_ competition."

Aki opened her mouth to comment on that assertion, but the crowd had suddenly fallen away and they were standing before a circular table, with two familiar faces sitting behind it.

Their eyes widened and Rua leaped off of the bench excitedly, crying, "Yusei! Aki! You made it!"

"Yeah, we made it," Yusei said with a small grin.

"We've been looking for you," Ruka said as Yusei and Aki settled into the bench. "But we couldn't see much through the crowd, so we decided to sit and wait for you to find us."

"It was her idea," Rua added immediately. "I told her we shouldn't give up like that."

"But it worked out, didn't it?" Ruka pointed out.

"That's all that matters," Yusei declared before the argument could begin in earnest. The twins looked over and smiled at them brightly.

* * *

**They were** sitting on the bench a short while later, talking over the music, when the music changed again. Aki glanced out to the dance floor thoughtfully, and then looked over at the man sitting beside her. He was leaning back, against the back of the bench, and had his left arm extended over the backrest, behind Aki's seat. His right hand was curled loosely around his plastic cup of water.

"Yusei," she said suddenly, reaching out and curling one hand in the lapel of his suit jacket.

Yusei obligingly looked over, as did the curious twins.

"Come dance with me," she insisted, tugging lightly to emphasize her point. She saw him hesitate, and her expression became almost pleading. "Please?"

He smiled and released his cup, nodding. "Ok," he agreed. As they scooted off of the bench, he looked back at the twins and said, "We'll be back in a bit; have fun."

"Don't worry about us," Ruka called calmly.

* * *

**Yusei led **Aki onto the dance floor easily, until he found a place he liked, and then he pulled her close to him, keeping her hand in his as he placed his other hand on her back. Aki easily slipped into place, and soon they were dancing, moving with the crowd.

"You know," Yusei said after a few moments of comparative silence, "I think I might change my opinion about dancing."

"Oh?" Aki asked, smirking teasingly. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

A genuine smile lit up his face, making his blue eyes sparkle in the reflective lights, and he replied, "Immensely."

Aki smiled and then found herself spinning gracefully out before Yusei pulled her back in effortlessly.

They moved fluidly, barely hearing the music as they lost themselves in each others eyes. The first song ended; fading quietly away to be replaced by another soft, sweet song, and neither of them even considered returning to the table.

* * *

**As they** danced, weaving their way fluidly through the other dancers, Aki's classmates and their assorted guests slowly migrated out of the way. Murmurs echoed through the crowd as people recognized first Yusei, and then Aki. Several of the professors moved forward to watch the couple as they danced, and the twins cleverly pushed their way to the front of the crowd, curious to see them.

"Are they all watching us?" Aki asked softly as she caught a glimpse of the headmaster and several of her classmates over Yusei's shoulder, watching her.

"I think so," Yusei replied, casting a brief glance to their surroundings before returning his attention to her. "Does that bother you?"

Aki thought about her answer for a beat, before smiling honestly and saying, "Not as long as I'm with you."

Yusei smirked, spun her out, and when he caught her, he wrapped both arms fully around her and pressed his lips to hers. Aki melted into the kiss, curling her arms around his shoulders, and forgetting about their audience.

Until the song ended and the crowd burst into applause and cheers, with Rua cheering the loudest.

They broke the kiss and Aki flushed, semi-embarrassed, and looked up, into Yusei's searing blue gaze. His familiar serious look had settled onto his face.

"Yusei?" she asked curiously.

"Aki," he replied carefully, his voice soft, even in the silence. "I want you to know; I love you."

Tears sparkled in Aki's amber eyes and she smiled, reaching up and cupping his face in her hands as if she needed to hold him in place. "I love you, too," she breathed, before brushing her lips lightly over his.

"Hey!" Rua hollered. "This is supposed to be a party, not one of those girl movies!"

"Rua!" Ruka hissed, frowning at her brother.

The crowd laughed, and Yusei and Aki turned, hand-in-hand, and approached their young friends. The music started up again, and most of the crowd resumed their dancing. Yusei led the group of four back to their table.

* * *

**"Is that** what I think it is?" Carly asked suddenly, two and a half months later, as she leaned over Yusei's shoulder in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the object he held in his hands.

Yusei, completely caught off-guard by Carly's sudden appearance, half-turned, eyebrows raised, and pocketed the object quickly. "Carly? What're you doing here?"

Carly stepped back and shrugged easily, a knowing smile plastered on her face. "Oh, I was walking by, 'cause I like to go window-shopping occasionally, and I saw you standing here all by yourself. Thought I'd say hi."

"Oh," Yusei said awkwardly, adding, "well, hi. How're you?"

"Oh, I'm fine," Carly replied. "Now tell me, Yusei; what are _**you**_ doing here?"

Slipping his hands into his jeans pockets, Yusei replied, "Actually, I was just leaving. It was good to see you, Carly."

As he made to start forward, Carly sprung, landing herself squarely in his way, arms spread wide. "Oh no you don't! I know what I saw; you have to tell me! Was that a-?"

"Yes," Yusei admitted quickly, cutting her off. "But I need you to keep that to yourself for a few days."

Carly smiled and relaxed her arms. "Oh, trust me, I won't spoil anything. My lips are sealed; and I promise my tape-recorder's off, too."

"Good," Yusei said with a nod. "But seriously, I do have to get going."

"Oh! Right, sorry! See you later, Yusei!" Carly exclaimed, jumping out of the way. As he walked past her, she added, "And good luck!"

* * *

**Aki leaned **her head against Yusei's shoulder two nights later as they sat in the city park and watched the sunset.

"Can you believe we've been dating for nearly three months already?" Aki asked randomly.

Yusei chuckled softly and smiled, looping his arm around her waist to hold her close beside him. "It is sort of surreal," he admitted.

Aki nodded and fell silent for a few seconds. As the sun met the horizon line, she said, "Your birthday's coming up, isn't it?"

"In a couple of weeks, yeah," Yusei replied.

"What do you want? I have no idea what to buy you," Aki admitted sheepishly. "And don't say something lame, like a movie; I want to get you something good."

By now the sun was well beneath the horizon, and the sky was alight with all sorts of colors.

Yusei loosened his hold and said, "It's funny you should ask, actually. There is something I want; something special."

Aki lifted her head, curious now, and looked at him. When he didn't immediately elaborate, she pushed. "Yeah, like what?"

Turning his head to meet her gaze briefly, Yusei grabbed her hand and stood, pulling her effortlessly to her feet as well.

"Yusei…?" Aki asked; feeling a bit confused. She fell silent, however, when his finger lightly descended over her lips for a second. Then he stepped back, just one, large step, and before she could say anything, he dropped to one knee in front of her.

She felt her breath catch, and her heart hammered in her chest as she considered his current position. _He couldn't be…could he…?_

Her thoughts fell silent when he reached in his coat pocket and withdrew a small, crushed velvet box, and simultaneously caught and held her gaze with his.

"Aki," he began softly, "you mean everything to me; I've never been happier than I have been with you these past few months. And losing you is the one thing I don't think I could ever handle, so I have to ask…Aki Izayoi, my beautiful rose, will you be my wife?"

The breath she'd been holding rushed out from her lungs and she smiled, one tear slipping down her cheek, and she whispered, "Yes. Yusei, there's nothing I want more than to spend my life with you."

Yusei rose gracefully, easily withdrawing the ring from the box, and sliding it onto her left ring finger. Then she was in his arms, her lips against his and her hands buried in his hair. He held her tight, kissing her with all the love he felt, as the sun finally made its exit, leaving behind it a fading trail of color.

_**The End**_

_**A/N:**_ Woohoo! I think that was pretty gosh darn fluffy, what do you think?? I hope you enjoyed it!! Thanks for reading, and please don't forget to review!!


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